- Childhood cancer - $95 million.
- Lead poisoning - $50.9 billion.
- Autism - $7.9 billion.
- Stopping the pollution that causes them - Priceless
A new report from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine finds that Children's health problems caused by air pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals and other environmental pollutants cost the United States $76.6 billion in 2008. In addition to those listed above, the study found that Intellectual disability cost $5.4 billion, exposure to mercury (methyl mercury) cost $5.1 billion, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder cost $5 billion, and asthma cost $2.2 billion.
Meanwhile, our own state legislature seems bent on cutting pollution protections, increasing the mercury in our air, water and food from burning coal, and relaxing other rules in the name of reducing costs. I ask "costs to whom"? As the parent of an autistic child, I can personally vouch for the financial, emotional, and human costs associated with these health problems.
Its time the legislature put protecting Minnesota families above doing favors for corporate lobbyists.
